Ice tray



J. N. SALER June 27, 1939.

ICE TRAY Filed July 30, 1936 Flq. 3.

2 V 6 Y R mA R m 0 V T mN n a Y. m m B J a \k s a VHL A, m 4 2 WITNESSES:

(5. flag Patented June 27, 1939 ICE TRAY Jules N." Saler, Springfield, Mass, assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 30, 1936, Serial No. 93,476

Claims.

My invention relates to an ice tray and grid for forming ice suitable for table use, and has for an object the provision of an improved flex-- ible grid and rigid tray structure.

5 It is another object of my invention to provide animproved flexible grid and ice tray from which ice may be removed without the application of heat and which is extremely cheap to manufacture.

It is another object of my invention to provide a grid structure formed of a plurality of spaced flexible longitudinal walls which are retained together only at the ends thereof.

These and other objects are effected by my invention, as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection'with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which:

' Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an ice tray and grid constructed in accordance with one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ice tray and grid taken on line IIII of Fig.-1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view ofmy improved grid structure; and,

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the pan and grid taken on line IVIV of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawing for a detailed description of the invention, numeral I0 designates an ice tray, preferably formed of stamped aluminum and. provided with a reinforced turned edge l2. A plurality of spaced ribs ll extend transversely of the ice tray and are preferably formed integral with the bottom thereof.- The ribs ll extend upwardly approximately two thirds of the distance between the top and bottom of the ice tray ID.

A removable grid member, generally designated at It, is disposed in the ice tray II and, in the I illustrated embodiment, divides the ice tray into three main compartments ll, l5, and 16 extending the entire length of the ice tray Ill. The fixed transverse ribs ll divide each main compartmeht into a plurality of sub-compartments or 4 cells H to form ice blocks of a size suitable for table use.

The grid member l3 embodies two flexible strips or wall members of metal I 8 and I9, preferably formed of stainless steel or other noncorrosive, flexible metal and held in spaced relation at the longitudinal extremities thereof by retaining members 2|, the remainder of the strips being unconnected and free to flex. The wall members IO and I! are notched from the bottom as shown at. 22 to receive the transverse ribs ll.

The wall members l8 and I9 extend generally in a vertical direction, as shown particularly in Fig. 4; however, portions of the walls l8 and I! between the ribs l l are bent at angles to the vertical for reasons to be hereinafter described, some being bent in one direction as shown at 24, while others are bent in the opposite direction as shown The ice tray is filled with water and when the water is frozen therein, the ice is divided into longitudinal blocks by the longitudinal walls 18 and I9, which blocks are scored on the bottom by,

the transverse ribs ll. Handles 26 are rotatably attached to the grid l3 and are journaled in the retaining members 2|, as shown in Fig. 2. The sides of the handles 26 function as leverage members 30. When the handles are rotated, the lever? age members 30 bear on the reinforced lip I! of the ice tray ID to forcibly lift the grid I3 with frozen liquid therein out of the tray Ill. The bent portions 24 and 25 of the grid l3 assist in breaking the bond between the ice and the ice tray and lift the ice when the grid I3 is raised. After the bond between the ice and the ice tray III has been broken, a twisting force is applied to the handles 26 to flex the walls l8 and IS. The ice will break from the grid l3 in the shape of blocks the size of cells ll, because the longitudinal walls divide the frozen liquid into longitudinal blocks, and the ribs H sufllciently score the longitudinal blocks so that they will crack across at the scored section break at the scores when the grid is flexed.

The grid walls l8 and I9 are preferably higher than the tray in, the purpose of such construction being to provide for deep scoring of the ice in the tray by the ribs II, and at the same time to ensure that suflicient metal is present in the grid between the top of the notches 22 and the top of the walls l8 and I9.

If desired, the wall members I8 and I! may be reinforced in a direction transverse to the vertical plane of the wall members by stamping out protuberahces 28 above some of the notches 22. Such reinforcement strengthens the will members at the points where the wall members flex the most and where the least amount of wall material is present.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided an extremely inexpensive ice tray and grid from which blocks of ice may be obtained without the use of heat. The ice blocks are readily removed from the ice tray, and are easily released from the grid because of its flexibility when force is applied thereto through the handles 26.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A grid structure for dividing an ice tray into compartments for forming separate particles of ice comprising a plurality of substantially straight flexible metallic. wall members extending longitudinally of said ice tray and having por tions disposed in a generally vertical direction with other portions disposed at such a small angle to the'vertical portions as to provide ready fiexingof the angular portions toward the vertical plane to facilitate the loosening of the ice from the longitudinal flexible walls, and means for retaining said strips together to form a unitary grid structure, said retaining means being disposed adjacent the ends of the wall members and constituting the sole connection between them, said angularly disposed portions of the wall member assisting in lifting the frozen ice out of the ice tray when the grid structure is raised from the ice tray.

2. In liquid congealing apparatus, the combi nation of an ice tray, a plurality of integral ribs extending transversely across the bottom of the ice tray and terminating belowthe top of the ice members in transverse spaced relation to form a unitary grid structure, said retaining means being disposed only at the longitudinal extremities of the wall members, and said wall members being notched at their bottoms to receive said integral transverse ribs on the bottom of the ice tray.

3. In liquid congealing apparatus, the combi nation of an ice tray, a plurality of ribs extending transversely across the bottoms of the ice tray and terminating below the top of the ice tray, a grid structure for dividing the ice tray into a plurality of ice containing compartments, said grid structure embodying a plurality of longitudinally extending vertically disposed flexible wall members, means for retaining said wall members in transverse spaced relation to form a unitary grid structure, said retaining means being disposed only at. the longitudinal extremities of the wall members, said wall members being notched at their bottoms to receive said transverse ribs' on the bottom of the ice tray, and means for forcibly breaking the bond between the ice and the ice tray by lifting the grid structure with the ice therein relative to the ice tray and for flexing the grid structure to remove the ice therefrom.

4. In ice forming apparatus, the combination of an ice tray and a grid structure for dividing the ice tray into a plurality ofice containing cells, said ice tray embodying a plurality of transverse ribs supported on the bottom of said ice tray and extending upwardly therefrom, said grid structure embodying a plurality of longitudinal vertically extending flexible wall'members, said wall members resting on the bottom of the ice tray and being notched to receive said transverse ribs, and means for retaining the ends of said wall members in fixed relative position, said wall members and said transverse ribs providing the sole means for dividing the ice tray into a pluralityof cells for forming separable blocks of ice.

5. A grid structure for dividing an ice tray into a plurality of ice containing cells which grid structure comprises a plurality of longitudinal vertically extending flexible wall members, means for retaining the ends of the wall members in fixed relative position, said wall members pro viding the sole means for dividing the tray into separate compartments extending substantially the full height of said tray, and means for reinforcing said longitudinal walls to limit their flexibility in a direction normal to the vertical plane of said walls.

JULES N. SALER. 

